Commando 44-77545
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77545
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32941
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1477
FATE: Stored
Operational Record
December 1944 to September 1947
44-77545 - USAAF (USA)
December 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Early 1945
Assigned to the 9th Air Force, 52nd Troop Carrier Wing, 313th Troop Carrier Group, 48th Troop Carrier Squadron based at Grevillers-Achiet (B-54), France.
Marked "Z7".
24 March 1945
Damaged during Operation Varsity over Wesel, Germany.
September 1947 to March 1965
44-77545 - USAF (USA)
18 September 1947
Transferred.
Unknown date
Assigned to the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, 140th Aeromedical Transport Squadron (Medium) based at Spaatz Field, PA.
Marked "ANG545".
7 August 1958
Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
27 June 1962
Sent to reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
Right: 44-77545 wearing an obsolete serial, seen at Winslow, AZ in October 1957.
Photo credit: Ted Miley / Airliners.net
March 1965 to March 1972
N32227 - C-46 PARTS INC. (USA)
2 March 1965
Purchased less engines from USAF. Total airframe time 3,792 hours.
24 April 1969
Registered.
7 April 1972
Registration cancelled, exported to Bolivia.
March 1972 to mid-1970's
CP-973 - AEROVIAS LAS MINAS (BOLIVIA)
3 March 1972
Purchased.
Used as a meat carrier.
Mid-1970's to 1993
CP-973 - TRANSPORTES AEREOS BOLIVAR (BOLIVIA)
Mid-1970's
Purchased.
Still used as a meat carrier.
Late 1980's
Withdrawn from use and stored at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia.
Left: a worn-out CP-973 at La Paz El Alto, Bolivia on 24 January 1986.
Photo credit: NJP / Airliners.net
Below: the same now engineless at La Paz on 3 November 1992.
Photo credit: Peter M. Garwood / Airliners.net
1993 to 2001
CP-973 - FRIGORIFICO SANTA RITA (BOLIVIA)
1993
Purchased.
Still used as a meat carrier.
2000
Withdrawn from use and stored.
Below: CP-973 now operational again as a meat carrier, La Paz, 21 September 1997.
Photo credit: Andy Martin / Airliners.net
2001 to present
CP-973 - LINEAS AEREAS CANEDO (BOLIVIA)
2001
Purchased.
2002
Ferried to Cochabamba, Bolivia.
Restoration into a plush 32-seat passenger aircraft with zero-time Double Wasp CB-16 engines and Hamilton Standard 33E60 props.
18 July 2009
First post-restoration flight.
Offered for passenger charters with little success.
Put up for sale for US$550,000, total time airframe 12,865 hours.
2012
Grounded by Bolivian CAA following the fatal accident of CP-1319 (Commando 44-78605).
Stored in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
16 April 2023
Still visible on satellite images parked at 17°25'01.65" S / 66°10'18.85" W.
Top row, left: CP-973 with its first paintjob during restoration, 12 March 2006, Cochabamba, Bolivia.
Photo credit: Michael Prophet / Airliners.net
Top row, right & middle row, left: CP-973 with its new paint job, getting ready for its first flight, 16 April 2009.
Photo credit: Propfreak / Airliners.net & Flickr
Middle row, right: now grounded in Cochabamba, with paint showing its age, 23 October 2015.
Photo credit: Steve Brimley / Airliners.net
Bottom row, left: CP-973's plush cabin.
Photo credit: Michael Blank / Jetphotos.net
Bottom row, right: the mechanic still taking care of his grounded bird, Cochabamba, 14 January 2015.
Photo credit: Robert Domandl / Airliners.net
Last edited: 04/02/2024